Flow controlled gas water heater



Nov. 3, 1931. R. .1. DOUGHERTY FLOW CONTROLLED GAS WATER HEATER v Filed May 2o, 1929 FIG Z f water heater upon cessation of operation of the means for circulatingthe water,ser1ous het any thermostatically controlledf'means f PatentedNov. 3, 1931 uNITED-sTArEs PTTOFFICE ROBERT VJ. DOUGHERTY, or AMisLER,` PENNsYLvANrA, AssieNoR To JOHN woon MANU- EAOTURING COMPANY, OE coNsHoHOcxEN, rENNsrLvANIA, A CORPORATION or PENNSYLVANIA y FLOW coNTRoLLED GAS WATER; HEATER f SYIIBJ appli-cation filed. June 1,8, 1928, ySeriallo. 286,087. Dvdedend this applicationfiler). May' 2o,

- f i 1929. serial No.73s4,6oo,

` V- This is af'divisionlof my application Serial i 'No.286,087 filed June 18,"1928,"forg-Letters VPatent of the United States, "which includes claims for automatically operativevalves of i6 the differential pressurecontrolled-type hereinafter described. A f

` My invention is particularly applicable to. gas-iired'water heatersv such as described 1n application SerialNo. 171,237 iled February '1:10 26, 1927, by Victor 'Mauck for Letters Patent of the United States, and'particularly a house heating system includingsuch a heater with thermostatically controlled valves suchy as described in 'Victor Maucks application Serial No. 187,590 iiled April 29, 1927, for Letters Patent of the United States.' Y

Such heaters include cellularunits comprising congeries of 'primarily cylindrical thinv copper tubes, the ends o'fwhich are extubes afford passageways for products, of 'combustion to heatl'water contained in the space around said tuloes.` In suchheating l f systems, it is necessaryto forcibly circulate 'of the soldered portions ofV such units and consequent disintegration thereof, and it vis e embodyingelements with which said valve is the water to prevent accidentalV overheating temporarily inoperativeby abnormal condip tion of their supply c1rcuit,'fo r instance,` by

the blowing of a fuse. Unless means are prothef'supply of gasv to Ytheburner of sucha VVVdamage :to the-heater mayresult, for, atits J maximumconsumption of gas, such a burner ior shutting off the 'gas supply to' such la burner within the time thus limited. Therefore, the general purpose vandeii'ect of this invention is to'provide/ means which are pracpanded-and soldered together, so that they vided to practically instantaneously shut oii isxcapablefot'melting lthe solder-'from the tically instantanecnislyv operative to shut l oit or shut' downto a minimum, thesupply'of gas to a burner as. the consequence of cessation of Operationofja ump vembodied in such a As hereinafter described, `my improvedVj valve includes a diskin cooperative relation .With an annular seat andheldbetween two "metallic, bellows which are subjected tointernal pressure'fromv respectively opposite` sides of thepump said valve being heldr off its seat to permit the fiow of gas thru the lat- I ter when the pump is not operating but being closed upon itsseat to shut olf the supply of gas, whenthe pumpis operating.

features" of @,'c'onstru'ction and arrangement hereinafter more definitelyspecified'.

In said drawings; Fig. I s a longitudinal Myx` invention includes the various novel sectional view of an 'automatically operative valve embodying my invention. j Fig. l'II is adiagram showing the essential elements of agate-fired water heating, system adapted to cooperate to control'the supply of,

gas toV the heater. burner., ,c

Referring to Fig. I; the cylindrical tubular casing I has gas ports 2 and 3 extending thru its side wall at respectively opposite ends thereof, and the annular valve seat 5 intermediate of said ports, in cooperative'relation 1 with the valve -disk Gwhichf is normallyiheld off its seat by the corrugated cylindrical tubular bellows f7 fandS,` which extend upon re-v spe'ctivel'yoppositesides thereof in coaxial relation therewith. yThel outer ends of said l,bellows 2" and 8 are respectively rigidly conv nected with plugs 9 and 10 which have screw threac'ls'- 11 and 12v re'spe'ctivelyy engaging the eoppositeendsof said casing 1. The inner yends of saidlb'ellows 7 rand 8'ar'e respectively rigidly connectedlwithldisk heads 14 and 15. Said head 15 has the screw threaded socket 17 for-*axially adjustable and detachable engagement with the stem 18 of said valve disk 6 so thatthe latter is rigidlyconnected with said bellows head '1 -5 .j` Said'Yvali/ev 6 hasthe axially opposite s'ten1. 19 fitted inthe seat 20 Vin the bellowsfhead so that said Valve'disk 6 is resiliently 'supportedY in coaxial relatlon zsaidloellows 8 is s upplied'withwater from :the jdischargeconduit '2420i' said pump; sof i that when 'Saidwpunp is Operatingftsubiects 'the water in ls''aillollow's"8 to pressure, ifwrhere .upon, the internal pressure in the hellowsjS kfexceedsjthat in the bellows f( kand the .bypass 'Y "Q .Valved-isk .6 iselo'sedupon itsgseattogthus shut .ojf "communioationghetween the gas ports V.2 .arid at opposite ends ofsaiclcasinglto then,

Referring. Figglg-eeindieifgiiie main gas burner .of theheater.;aboveontemplated,

21,' .andthe function .of .said valve-6 in vtlieemsure Yand is-.connectedwith the 29 below the seat fo'rfthernainldiaohragm-Malve, .whichis carried bytheleX-iblefdiaphragm 32 so that it' normallyggrwitates to closed position, to prevent thelflowio-f `gras thru said conafter descrihedi 'aiid 34,1 whichareconnectedfwi-th saiddia- L j -phragzmvalue2-easing 29. SaidConduit'y y34 leads'directly to the pilot burns-T35 which is A tothe'gpoit 2 inthe automaticvalvejlcasinel aforesaid sothat'the vspace .at theY right hand .sideogf .thevalve disk@ in Fig. Ifiscontinuali lv directlyconnectedwith the gas .supply con uit 2 8. The nent Qsaid-valve casing. l

tera by thehvnas's .cQmilutsU- and-37;; so that# :Whml Sad'fvlve isifoneni, which Visyits normal;idler-condition said diaphragmvalve 131 is subiecteda-uponhoth si-desgtofthe normal @pressure ofthe-.geef

onheil' than vthe"cenchu't -`with theswitch diaphragm easing 39 below bodanent showyminlFigll isf-.toinstantly` .stopt/,he supplyfogas thru Isaid condui5t27 i when said pumpisffor anylreason stopped. f The confini-t28 Yleads from' .aV muni-'cipalgas so'lmain; erothersourcepo'f uelwgas und-er presv j -ls connected with "said-:rnain'diaphragmfvalve .casing 29.. abovethe :diaphragm 31 fin 'the lat-V normally Y uplift Said dial'JhimagmV Vand Vstop the operationof said pump 23lwhen the Valve 6. is open. Said diaphragm'40 is operatively connectedwith the electric switchlever 41 which y.is vin Acooperativjerelation .with the switch terminals. 42'and 4.3 'softliah when operative.va l ves,towit, lirst,v the .valyeyw mostatic element l58; andfadapted to .close when @the Y temperature local .to the i" burner V26alls. h elowa predetermined degree; Howthe pilot V leurner 35 i ,tain the -flanae in .said 'conduit 3 7 topupli-ftthe switch -dia- V phragm 4 0 whenthejvalvedis closed; Ii Y`duit-27,@V saidburner26; when the, pressure of' the msi-supply ris. Iadmittefl l 'opposite v' Sides of said diaphragm throng-h bypass 4prwide said main diaphragm halte-31 with ,switchwdiaphragmw under norinalidleconinto. theonduitf34 leading Yt0 .-the pilotihiirner @5y-under control of .three thermostatically "which has thesthermoswti tube 151 'eritend- ,.ng in. thehot water tting 52- of :the ih eatergl 'system' which valve is set' .tmclose at, say, i 200 Second, 4t hef valife -54 hav-ing jthe .therunostatic element 55,y is adaptedto close` at :some room teniazeraturej--sayj 70 o' l`.., and,

vthirdi-the, .safety Valve 571 having the lther-f vrpermit *tli-eliow therethruofk the volume 'of *Y jgasadmittedthru ,the bleedportO, but of- A.ieringisulicient;resista-nce:to the large volume.. mermallyj lit.' f .Said1- conduit 33 Aleadsj.diiectlv ofgasvf-rom the conduitG to insureinstantaneous'closurefof- `the diaphragm'valve `3l. .whenever Isaid .diiferentialvalyefis opened.

vThe normalcycle iofagoperation is asffollows: If theftemperature/o the room" fini which said valwefi is Vmounted Vfalls. hel-ow theftemperature Vfor which: that Valve is set said valve@ V5 4 {opens and,- .providing-that the pilot'burner lightedso that the-A valve 57is .held'openyand that'the` temperature ofi the water? in thesys-temi andrinzthe l'container 52 not aho'vefthe" critical'it'emperature g so that said- 'Valve ,5U-is l Y #cl sed' not only hyrfrlavi-Q belowfthe switchfdiaphragni'llO- is relieved .by the escapel .of -gasV "thru: the @bleed pipef 48 andzsaid 'diaphragm afalls'and eiifeots lthe y closuregof'the circuit 45,46 of the Velectric Said ?fas` conduit-SZ isilicommunication V ymotor 47 :andi thus .starts operation of the K' H19 burner 26 is, of course, ignited by the flame 59 of the pilot burner 35, vand the'heater 63 39 ply of gas to the main burner 26 and thus o 40. inthe appended claims.

' is thus `admitted to the main burner 26 thru l the valve seat 30 in the main diaphragm valve casing 29. The gas thus supplied to the continues to operate until either of the *auto- ,inaticl control valvesor 54 is closed, re-

" Yspeotively by rise oftemperature of the water Y, in the ,container 52 above the critical tem- ",perature, or rise of temperature of the ,at-

mosphere in the room local to the valve 54.

` Closure of either'ofsaid valves 50 and 54 stops thefescape of gas from the bleed pipe '48,1 and the gas-admitted thru the bleed port y, uplifts said switch diaphragm 40, breakingithe circuit ofthe motor 47 and stopping the `operation of the pump. -The instant the pump stops, said valve 6 (which has been held closedby the pressure of water incident to theoperation of the pump,) opens, thus,- admitting the full gas pressure above the main diaphragm valve 31 closing theV latter bleed pipe in connection with said bleed opening, anda valve controlling said bleed plpe;

fan electric motor in operative relation with said pump an electric switch in the motor circuit; and a switch diaphragm operatively connected with said switch and in communi vcation with said bleed opening and bleed pipe; whereby, when said bleed pipe valve is shut, said diaphragm valve is caused to shut by theequalization of gas pressure'upon both sides thereof through said bleed opening, and said switch opened and pump stopped.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Conshohocken, Pennsyl- Vania, this fifteenth day of May, 1929.

` ROBERT J. DOUGHER'IY.

and thus instantaneously stopping the sup-V preventing any danger of overheating and disintegrating the water containers 63 above the same.

' .obvious that various modifications may be Ido not vdesire to limit myself to the precise details of construction, arrangement, or `method of operation herein set forth, asfit is l :madetherein Without departing from the essentialfeatures of my invention, as defined I, claim: i v

1;-In a gas water, heateigthe combination *Y with" a main gas burner; of a gas supply conduit leading `to said. burner; a diaphragm valve controlling'the flow of gas in said con-'- .duitf; bypassconduit means adaptedzto cond' nect'opposite sides ofsaid diaphragm valve vand thereby cause thelatterY to close by pres- 5isure of the gas supply; a valve controlling v said bypass; a water container'in cooperative` @relation with said burnergrmeans arranged Y to forcibly circulate water through said conn tainer, includinga pump; means operatively i d V''55.."v vhereby, kwhen Ysaid pump 1s operating, said y' Vbypass valve is closed and'allows said dia. phragm valve to'be opened by the pressurer of connecting said pump with said bypass valve *the gassupply, and, whenfsaid pump stops,

fsaid. bypass valve is opened and allows said diaphragm valve to bek closed by admission lmV fof ggas pressure to both sides of said diaf phragm, and thus reduce the supply of lgas to the burner. 'Y

2. Apparatus asv in ,l claim 1y wherein the .diaphragm valve has a ,gas bleed opening, a 

